Bartolome and Cerro Dragon , 11/26/2022, National Geographic Islander II
Aboard the
National Geographic Islander II
Galápagos
Our day began with a short Zodiac ride and a pre-breakfast hike on Bartolome Island, followed by a delicious breakfast and water activities. We visited Dragon Hill in the afternoon and spotted land iguanas, flamingos, marine iguanas, shorebirds, and sea lions. We admired the wonderful scenery and the amazing geological formations.
Born and raised in the Galápagos, Roberta Schiess Bahamonde’s grandparents were among the first permanent inhabitants of Santa Cruz Island, arriving from Switzerland in the 1940s. Her mother is also a naturalist guide in the Galápagos, so this is a p...
Enter travel details to receive reports from a single expedition
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...
Send Daily Expedition Reports to friends and family
*By clicking the submit button, I authorize Lindblad Expeditions to email me; however, I am able to unsubscribe at any time. For more details, see our Privacy Policy.
Please note: All Daily Expedition Reports (DERs) are posted Monday-Friday,
during normal business hours. DERs are written onboard the ship only and do
not apply to land-based portions of expeditions.
Today we visited the youngest part of the archipelago, to the west. Early in the morning, we circumnavigated a beautiful geological formation known as Roca Redonda, where thousands of marine birds nest. Then we navigated along the shoreline of Isabela Island; we admired the beauty of the landscapes, with the fog that is characteristic of this time of year hiding Ecuador Volcano behind it. At Punta Vicente Roca, we explored the bay with our Zodiacs and searched for wildlife. We found charismatic sea lions, marine iguanas, sea turtles, and the famous flightless cormorants. In the afternoon we hiked on the youngest island of the archipelago, Fernandina, where thousands of marine iguanas basked under the sun and light rain in big groups. Some of us went on a Zodiac exploration in search of penguins, and we succeeded in finding them in the late afternoon. We ended the day with an al fresco barbecue dinner and local music on board!
The morning started with frigates nesting on the green bushes of North Seymour Island, with their impressive red gular sacs they inflate for mating easily visible. Blue-footed boobies were also seen on the lava rocks along the shore, and many land iguanas were feeding on flowers and salt bushes. This year has seen a lot of rain, and now there is plenty of food for terrestrial creatures. As soon as we arrived at Rabida Island, our younger explorers had fun jumping from the stern of our ship to cool off and play on our inflatable platform. In the afternoon, we went kayaking and snorkeling from the beautiful and unique red beach. We spotted rays, sharks, sea lions, and many schools of different fish. We ended our day strolling along the beach and the brackish lagoon where flamingoes were preening their iridescent pink feathers. What a day we had, full of enjoyment, adventure, and funny moments.
Our first day exploring the Galapagos Islands was amazing, as our guests visited the most central and populated island of the archipelago, Santa Cruz. Our day started with a visit to El Trapiche, an historical site because the owner is one of the first settlers to have arrived in the 1950s. We had the best time learning all about sugarcane products, including moonshine. The adventures never stopped, as we explored a unique lava tunnel and visited Los Gemelos (The Twin Craters) that offered us a breathtaking view of the landscape. Possibly the most memorable excursion of the day was when we arrived at Manzanillo Ranch to look for the symbols of the Galapagos Islands, the giant tortoises. It was a special moment when we got to walk alongside these reptiles.
